Overwatch 2 players hope Marvel Rivals will “pressure” Blizzard to do better

Marvel Rivals’ Closed Beta has Overwatch 2 players discussing the new hero shooter’s odds of being a true competitor for Blizzard’s popular game.

The Closed Beta, which runs until August 5, has allowed tens of thousands of players to access the game. Developer NetEase promised more keys are coming as players have been struggling to get in, but the high demand for keys is a good sign for Rivals’ future.

Given the similarities between the two games, Marvel Rivals has attracted much attention from the Overwatch community.

Many longtime OW fans are wondering whether the superhero title will truly rival or even surpass Overwatch 2 – especially given all the controversies that have frustrated that player base.

Now that more people have been able to get their hands on the Closed Beta, Overwatch fans agree that, while NetEase’s hero shooter is fun, Marvel Rivals should aim to compete alongside Overwatch rather than try to overtake it.

Since the Closed Beta began, Marvel Rivals has been receiving praise, particularly in comparison to Blizzard’s hero shooter. As one X/Twitter user put it, “It takes what Overwatch is, & unapologetically improves on it.”

“They really ‘get’ why Overwatch was fun IMO,” said another.

The title has even won over some skeptics. One player said that, while they were initially frustrated by the “blatant Overwatch ripoffs,” they changed their mind after getting hands-on time with the game, saying, “I’m enjoying it the more I play it.”

A post on an Overwatch-themed subreddit saw players go further while trying to answer the question, “Is Marvel Rivals a genuine contender to Overwatch?”

“I see it more as an alternative when I need something a little different than a replacement,” reads a top comment on the post. The user also pointed out that Marvel Rivals is still in beta and that “OW also took a while to get where it is today.”

Others have praised Marvel Rivals’ Team-Up Skills for adding a new twist to the familiar gameplay, with one user saying, “I’d love for Overwatch to add something like this where two players contribute to the same character.”

Though Marvel Rivals is still a work-in-progress, players are hopeful that it can co-exist with Overwatch 2. As one player said, “if we’re lucky, it’ll put pressure on Blizzard to produce a higher quality experience.”